Roofers: How to Find a Good Roofing Contractor

Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It protects you and your belongings from things like rain, snow, and sun and plays a major part in your home’s curb appeal. So when the time comes to have some work done on your roof, you don’t want to leave it to just anyone. Finding a good roofing contractor is a crucial part of having your roof cared for properly. Be sure to follow these tips to make sure that you find a roofer you can trust to do the right job on your roof.

Start Local

Whenever possible you want to find a roofer that has roots and ties in your community. This is important on several levels; a local roofer will be around to help you with problems that may arise down the road. Local roofers will also have ties to local supply companies, which means they are less likely to leave you with an unpaid supply bill and a lien on your house.

A local contractor will likely want to protect their reputation in the community as well, which means that they’re likely to do the best job possible for you.

Interview at Least Three

You want to interview a minimum of three roofing contractors prior to making your decision. Take the time to ask them questions and to learn as much as you can from each one. This will help ensure that you’re finding someone that you feel comfortable with. It can also help you discover major differences between companies. For example, if one roofer tells you that he can tack on a new layer of shingles while another shows you why that would be a bad idea and explains how he can remove the current shingles to check for rot before reinstalling new ones, you can learn who’s going to take the best care of your job.

Get It in Writing

Don’t accept anything unless you get it in writing. Have each of the roofers you interview give you a written estimate of the work, and make sure everything that was discussed is in there. If you notice something is missing, speak up; you don’t want to find out later that something that you thought was included was overlooked. Make sure you get everything – guarantees, warranties, terms, quotes, start and end dates, etc. in writing.

Ask each roofer if what you receive is an estimate or a bid. An estimate is the roofer’s guess as to how much it will cost with the understanding that it may be more or less depending on the actual work done. A bid is a guarantee that the work will be done for that price. When comparing roofers, you want to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples and not just taking the lowest number.

Check Up on Them

Having local ties to your community is a good start, but you need to do your due diligence and take the time to check out your roofer:

Call the state or local licensing agency and check on the status of their license

Call at least three references to ask about previous work

Make sure they are certified by the manufacturer to install the product, and that they can offer the manufacturer’s warranty on your shingle

Check their rating out at the Better Business Bureau to see how they handle customers and customer complaints

Verify that they carry proper insurance including General Liability and Worker’s Compensation

About Northern Virginia Roofing

Northern Virginia Roofing is a second generation family owned and operated company specializing in roof repair, roof replacement as well as siding, gutters, windows and doors, and storm damage restoration. We’ve had the same phone number since 1980 and have never changed our name. We’ve been doing business in your area since 1963, and many of our crews have been with us for more than 11 years.

Dave Will did a very thorough and professional inspection of the problem areas of the roof, verified by pictures to explain the problem and prescribe the remedies. The work was completed in a timely manner even though the temperature was in the 90s. He was careful to not hard the landscaping (Japanese maple) and left no mess or indication he was there- except the roof is now worry free. Highly recommend!